--- title: "Safest Neighborhoods in San Francisco: Map + Best Areas (2026 Data)" url: https://33travels.com/safest-neighborhoods-in-san-francisco/ author: "Lena Marchetti" published: 2026-11-14 updated: 2026-11-14 place: "California" --- # Safest Neighborhoods in San Francisco: Map + Best Areas (2026 Data) The safest neighborhoods in San Francisco cluster in the west and southwest of the city: the Richmond and the Sunset on either side of Golden Gate Park, Twin Peaks and the West Portal area below Mount Davidson, and Noe Valley and Glen Park on the hills south of the Castro. Between November 2025 and October 2026, 17 of the 35 neighborhoods with at least 3,000 residents recorded fewer than 1.9 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, half the city rate of 3.7. Those 17 neighborhoods hold 50% of San Francisco’s residents and recorded 12.7% of its violent crime. **Safest neighborhoods in San Francisco:** Twin Peaks, West of Twin Peaks, the Inner Sunset, Sunset/Parkside and Oceanview/Merced/Ingleside in the southwest. Presidio Heights, Pacific Heights, the Marina, the Inner Richmond and the Outer Richmond in the northwest, plus Lone Mountain/USF, where university police handle the campus. Noe Valley, Glen Park, Haight Ashbury and the Excelsior across the middle and south of the city. Russian Hill, home to Ghirardelli Square, and Potrero Hill east of the Mission. The Southwest part of town, the Sunset, Twin Peaks and Lake Merced area, rates 0.8 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, the lowest of the city’s four parts. The Northwest follows at 1.1. Of the 11 supervisor districts, District 4, which covers the Sunset, has the lowest rate at 0.8. Citywide, violent crime fell 14% compared with the 12 months before, and the police department counted 28 homicides in 2025, the fewest since 1954. The Presidio is left out of the ranking: the U.S. Park Police patrol it, so the city’s police file holds only 2 of its violent crimes. ## Map of the safest neighborhoods in San Francisco The darkest green marks the lowest violent crime rates and runs a little past the safe line used in the ranking, so Japantown and the unranked Presidio are dark green too. Pale green marks neighborhoods near the city average. Tan areas sit above average, and rose areas have the highest rates. Grey areas are Golden Gate Park, Lincoln Park, McLaren Park, Sea Cliff and Treasure Island, which have too few residents for a rate. The view buttons zoom to Downtown & Central, the Northwest, the Southwest or the Mission & Southeast. The **Theft & robbery** layer shows where thefts and robberies concentrate, and a tap or hover on any neighborhood opens its counts. Interactive tool: https://33travels.com/safest-neighborhoods-in-san-francisco/ ## Table of Contents - [Safest neighborhoods in San Francisco](#safest-neighborhoods-in-san-francisco) - [Best neighborhoods in San Francisco](#best-neighborhoods-in-san-francisco) - [Safe areas in San Francisco for tourists](#safe-areas-in-san-francisco-for-tourists) - [Is Noe Valley safe?](#is-noe-valley-safe) - [Is the Sunset District safe?](#is-the-sunset-district-safe) - [Is the Marina safe?](#is-the-marina-safe) - [Low numbers that mislead](#low-numbers-that-mislead) - [Where crime is higher](#where-crime-is-higher) - [Safest suburbs of San Francisco](#safest-suburbs-of-san-francisco) - [Tips for choosing a neighborhood](#tips-for-choosing-a-neighborhood) - [How this map was made](#how-this-map-was-made) - [FAQ](#faq) ## Safest neighborhoods in San Francisco The table lists the 15 neighborhoods of 3,000 or more residents with the lowest violent crime rates. In a neighborhood of 8,000 people a single robbery adds about 0.1 to the rate, so Twin Peaks, Presidio Heights and Glen Park trade places with a few crimes. Twin Peaks tops the list on 1 violent crime in 12 months, and Presidio Heights and Glen Park recorded 4 each. | Neighborhood | Supervisor district | Violent crimes per 1,000 | vs. city avg | Homicide cases | Aggravated assaults | Thefts + robberies | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Twin PeaksDistrict 7 | District 7 | 0.1 | 0.0x | 0 | 0 | 26 | | Noe ValleyDistrict 8 | District 8 | 0.4 | 0.1x | 0 | 4 | 280 | | Presidio HeightsDistrict 2 | District 2 | 0.4 | 0.1x | 0 | 0 | 93 | | Glen ParkDistrict 8 | District 8 | 0.5 | 0.1x | 0 | 4 | 27 | | West of Twin PeaksDistrict 7 | District 7 | 0.6 | 0.2x | 0 | 10 | 213 | | Inner SunsetDistrict 7 | District 7 | 0.6 | 0.2x | 0 | 7 | 102 | | Sunset/ParksideDistrict 4 | District 4 | 0.7 | 0.2x | 1 | 32 | 244 | | Inner RichmondDistrict 1 | District 1 | 0.8 | 0.2x | 0 | 15 | 98 | | Outer RichmondDistrict 1 | District 1 | 0.9 | 0.2x | 0 | 20 | 193 | | Oceanview/Merced/InglesideDistrict 11 | District 11 | 0.9 | 0.2x | 0 | 17 | 159 | | Pacific HeightsDistrict 2 | District 2 | 1.1 | 0.3x | 0 | 9 | 386 | | Potrero HillDistrict 10 | District 10 | 1.1 | 0.3x | 0 | 14 | 154 | | Russian HillDistrict 3 | District 3 | 1.2 | 0.3x | 0 | 5 | 227 | | Lone Mountain/USFDistrict 1 | District 1 | 1.3 | 0.4x | 0 | 9 | 186 | | ExcelsiorDistrict 11 | District 11 | 1.7 | 0.5x | 1 | 39 | 168 | ### Twin Peaks, West Portal and Mount Davidson Twin Peaks covers the summit, Sutro Tower and the slopes around them, between Clarendon Avenue, Portola Drive and Laguna Honda Boulevard, and rates 0.1. West of Twin Peaks is the much larger district of 37,573 residents that runs along 19th Avenue from Quintara Street to Ocean Avenue, with West Portal and Mount Davidson inside it. It recorded 22 violent crimes for a rate of 0.6. Mount Davidson, at 938 feet, is the highest point in San Francisco. ### The Sunset and the Inner Sunset Sunset/Parkside is the largest neighborhood in San Francisco, with 75,808 residents between Lincoln Way, 19th Avenue, Sloat Boulevard and Ocean Beach. Its rate of 0.7 is under a fifth of the city rate. The Inner Sunset, east of 19th Avenue between Lincoln Way and Clarendon Avenue, rates 0.6 and holds UCSF’s Parnassus campus and the shops on Irving Street around Ninth Avenue. The N Judah streetcar runs through both on its way to the ocean. ### The Richmond, Presidio Heights and Pacific Heights The Inner Richmond, between Arguello Boulevard, Park Presidio Boulevard and Fulton Street, rates 0.8, and the Outer Richmond west of Park Presidio rates 0.9 on 44,760 residents. Presidio Heights, the blocks between Arguello Boulevard and Baker Street north of Geary Boulevard, rates 0.4. Pacific Heights, from Lyon Street east to Van Ness Avenue above Sutter Street, rates 1.1. ### Noe Valley and Glen Park Noe Valley has the lowest rate of any San Francisco neighborhood with 20,000 or more residents: 0.4 on 10 violent crimes. It runs from 21st Street south to 30th Street between Dolores Street and the hills of Diamond Heights. Glen Park, south of it between O’Shaughnessy Boulevard and San Jose Avenue, rates 0.5 and is built around the 66-acre Glen Canyon Park. ### Russian Hill, Potrero Hill and the Excelsior Two hill neighborhoods near the center make the list. Russian Hill, between Van Ness Avenue and Columbus Avenue, rates 1.2 and holds Ghirardelli Square and Aquatic Park. Potrero Hill, between 16th Street and 25th Street east of the 101 freeway, rates 1.1. In the south, the Excelsior along the east side of Mission Street rates 1.7 on 37,522 residents. Haight Ashbury and the Marina also sit under the line, at 1.7 and 1.8. ## Best neighborhoods in San Francisco Many neighborhoods have low violent crime, so the best neighborhoods in San Francisco differ more by what they offer than by safety. These picks pair a rate under the line (just above it for Japantown) with transit, parks or a main street. ### Best neighborhoods for visitors For a first trip, Russian Hill puts you near Ghirardelli Square and the Marina near Chestnut Street and the Palace of Fine Arts. Russian Hill sits at the end of the Powell-Hyde cable car line, and the F Market & Wharves streetcar runs from Jones and Beach Streets along the Embarcadero to the Castro from 7 a.m. to midnight. Pacific Heights and Japantown add the shops, restaurants and music venues of Fillmore Street, including the Boom Boom Room. Japantown rates 2.3, just above the line. Pacific Heights, Japantown and the Marina run above the city average for theft. A Muni Visitor Passport, $15 for one day or $35 for three, covers buses, streetcars and cable cars. ### Best neighborhoods for families Families find parks and recreation centers in the Sunset, West of Twin Peaks and the Richmond. Sunset/Parkside holds Stern Grove, with its free summer concerts, Larsen Park and its swimming pool, and the Sunset Recreation Center on Lawton Street. In the Inner Richmond, Mountain Lake Park has a playground, tennis courts and a dog area at the north end of 12th Avenue. Glen Canyon Park reopened its recreation center in 2017 after a $22 million renovation, with a playground, a climbing wall and indoor pickleball. Noe Valley has the Upper Noe Recreation Center and Douglass Playground. ### Best neighborhoods for young professionals Noe Valley, the Inner Sunset and the Marina each have a walkable main street. 24th Street is the center of Noe Valley, with its restaurants, wine bars and Noe Valley Town Square, where a Saturday farmers’ market runs. Irving Street in the Inner Sunset has dumpling houses, bakeries and Green Apple Books on the Park, a few blocks from Golden Gate Park. Chestnut Street is the Marina’s main commercial street, and Union Street in Cow Hollow, inside the same neighborhood, has shops and cafes in restored Victorians. Clement Street in the Inner Richmond, between Arguello and Funston, is known as the city’s other Chinatown. ### Best neighborhoods for a budget Among the safe neighborhoods with census figures, the Excelsior has the lowest rent, and the Excelsior and Oceanview/Merced/Ingleside have the lowest home values. Census Bureau estimates for 2020 to 2024 put the median of tract median rents at about $2,330 a month in the Excelsior and $2,560 in Oceanview/Merced/Ingleside, close to the citywide $2,476, and median home values near $1.13 million in both, against $1.39 million citywide. Noe Valley tract rents run from about $3,170 to $3,460, and most tracts in Pacific Heights and the Marina hit the Census Bureau’s $2 million cap for home values. All figures are census tract medians. ## Safe areas in San Francisco for tourists By violent crime, the safe areas in San Francisco for tourists are Russian Hill, Pacific Heights and the Marina. Golden Gate Park, with the California Academy of Sciences, the Conservatory of Flowers and Stow Lake, and Lincoln Park, with the Legion of Honor and Lands End, have almost no residents and no rate. The downtown and waterfront sights sit in neighborhoods above the city rate. Union Square, the Ferry Building and the Salesforce Transit Center are in the Financial District/South Beach, which rates 8.4 and recorded 1,219 thefts, more than three times the city’s theft per resident. Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39 are in North Beach, which rates 4.7. Both rates count residents only, while the crowds come from elsewhere. ## Is Noe Valley safe? Yes. Noe Valley recorded 10 violent crimes among 23,020 residents in 12 months, for a rate of 0.4, about a tenth of the city’s. Theft is the more common crime: the neighborhood logged 274 thefts a little under the city average per resident. Rents here run above the citywide figure, at about $3,170 to $3,460 a month by census tract. ## Is the Sunset District safe? Yes. Sunset/Parkside, the Outer Sunset and Parkside together, recorded 52 violent crimes for its 75,808 residents, a rate of 0.7. Its theft rate is about a quarter of the city’s, with 225 thefts. The district borders Ocean Beach, a 3.5-mile beach where fires are allowed only in the fire rings from March through October. The Inner Sunset to the east rates 0.6. ## Is the Marina safe? For violent crime, yes: the Marina rates 1.8, under the safe line, on 25,116 residents. Theft is above the city average per resident, with 404 thefts in 12 months. The rate counts residents only, and Chestnut Street, Union Street, the Palace of Fine Arts and Fort Mason sit inside the neighborhood. The neighborhood runs from Van Ness Avenue west to Lyon Street and the Presidio, and from the bay south to Vallejo and Green Streets. ## Low numbers that mislead The Presidio shows 2 violent crimes because the U.S. Park Police, not the city police, handle law enforcement there. Lone Mountain/USF rates 1.3 and stays in the ranking, but the University of San Francisco’s own public safety department responds to incidents on its 55-acre campus, so the city file can miss campus incidents. San Francisco State in Lakeshore and the UCSF campuses at Parnassus and Mission Bay have their own police too. Lakeshore rates 3.1, below the city average, but it recorded 514 thefts, more than three times the city’s theft per resident, concentrated around the Stonestown Galleria mall. Golden Gate Park, McLaren Park and Lincoln Park are unrated because almost nobody lives in them. ## Where crime is higher Downtown & Central, from the Tenderloin and South of Market to the Financial District, rates 7 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, about nine times the Southwest. The Tenderloin and South of Market rate 15.6 and 15.0. The Mission & Southeast part of town rates 4.2, driven by the Mission and Bayview Hunters Point. Our [areas to avoid in San Francisco](https://33travels.com/areas-to-avoid-in-san-francisco/) guide covers those neighborhoods block by block. ## Safest suburbs of San Francisco Most of the Bay Area departments in the table reported less violent crime per resident than San Francisco. Foster City, Pacifica and Burlingame reported the lowest rates of the departments in the table for 2025, against 4.86 for San Francisco in the same FBI data. Oakland reported about three times the San Francisco rate. Smaller towns not in the table report lower rates still: Hillsborough had 5 violent crimes in 2025, Tiburon 5 and Mill Valley 7, according to FBI data. | City | Population | Violent crimes | Per 1,000 | Year | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oakland | 444,211 | 6,554 | 14.8 | 2025 | | Richmond | 115,149 | 937 | 8.1 | 2025 | | Berkeley | 121,235 | 775 | 6.4 | 2025 | | East Palo Alto | 29,143 | 161 | 5.5 | 2025 | | San Leandro | 85,567 | 433 | 5.1 | 2025 | | San Francisco | 815,330 | 3,964 | 4.9 | 2025 | | Hayward | 157,399 | 725 | 4.6 | 2025 | | Union City | 65,297 | 294 | 4.5 | 2025 | | Redwood City | 82,769 | 305 | 3.7 | 2025 | | San Rafael | 59,670 | 218 | 3.7 | 2025 | | Alameda | 78,978 | 275 | 3.5 | 2025 | | South San Francisco | 64,363 | 199 | 3.1 | 2025 | | Daly City | 100,564 | 255 | 2.5 | 2025 | | Novato | 52,105 | 110 | 2.1 | 2025 | | San Bruno | 41,622 | 80 | 1.9 | 2025 | | Menlo Park | 32,887 | 61 | 1.9 | 2025 | | San Mateo | 102,362 | 172 | 1.7 | 2025 | | Burlingame | 30,794 | 51 | 1.7 | 2025 | | Pacifica | 36,699 | 57 | 1.6 | 2025 | | Foster City | 32,395 | 22 | 0.7 | 2025 | Murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault reported to the FBI by each agency, per 1,000 residents of the population the agency reports. Source: [FBI Crime Data Explorer](https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/). Agencies that report no complete year are left out. ## Tips for choosing a neighborhood - Check the exact address. Large districts such as the Sunset and the Mission have quiet and busy blocks, and a hotel listed under one name can sit across the line in another. - Turn on the **Theft & robbery** layer before you book. The Marina and Pacific Heights rate under the safe line on violent crime but sit above the city average for theft, and Lakeshore sits far above it. - For a short stay, pick a neighborhood on a cable car, F line or Muni Metro line so you can reach the sights without a car. - For a move, compare the Excelsior and Oceanview/Merced/Ingleside with the Sunset: all three rate under the line, and the first two cost less. - Call 9-1-1 for emergencies and 415-553-0123 for non-emergency San Francisco police service. In the Presidio, call the U.S. Park Police at 415-561-5505. ## How this map was made Crime counts come from the San Francisco Police Department’s public incident reports for November 2025 through October 2026. Violent crime here means homicide, robbery and aggravated assault, each incident counted once. The public file withholds rape reports and juvenile records, so sex offenses are not in the counts, and it lists fewer homicide cases than the official count. Each report is placed in one of the city’s 41 Analysis Neighborhoods by its location, which the department rounds to the nearest intersection, and the rate divides by the 2020 Census population. The ranking includes neighborhoods with at least 3,000 residents and leaves out the Presidio. Crimes handled by BART police, campus police, the U.S. Park Police and the sheriff are not in the file. The suburban table uses each department’s reports to the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer, and the housing figures come from the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey. We ranked the safest neighborhoods in [Milwaukee](https://33travels.com/safest-neighborhoods-in-milwaukee/), [Houston](https://33travels.com/safest-neighborhoods-in-houston/), [San Diego](https://33travels.com/safest-neighborhoods-in-san-diego/) and [Austin](https://33travels.com/safest-neighborhoods-in-austin/). ## FAQ What is the safest neighborhood in San Francisco? Twin Peaks has the lowest violent crime rate, 0.1 per 1,000 residents, but that rests on a single incident. Among larger neighborhoods, Noe Valley rates 0.4 with 23,020 residents, and Sunset/Parkside, home to 75,808 people, rates 0.7. What part of San Francisco is the safest? The west side. The Southwest part of town rates 0.8 violent crimes per 1,000 residents and the Northwest 1.1. By supervisor district, District 4 rates 0.8, District 7 0.9 and District 1 1. What are the best neighborhoods to live in San Francisco? For low crime and lower housing costs, the Excelsior and Oceanview/Merced/Ingleside have median home values near $1.13 million by census tract, below the citywide $1.39 million. Noe Valley, West of Twin Peaks and the Inner Sunset cost more and rate 0.4, 0.6 and 0.6. Where is the safest place for a tourist to stay in San Francisco? Russian Hill and the Marina combine violent crime rates under half the city's with an easy trip to the waterfront. A Muni Visitor Passport costs $47 for seven days and covers cable cars. Muni Owl buses run every half hour from midnight to 5 a.m. on lines such as the 14 Mission, 22 Fillmore and 38 Geary. The Marina's thefts run above the city average per resident. Is Union Square safe? Union Square sits in the Financial District/South Beach neighborhood, which rates 8.4 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, above the city average, and recorded more than three times the city's theft per resident. Both counts divide by residents only, so crowds raise them. Since February 2025 an SFPD Hospitality Task Force has patrolled Union Square, Yerba Buena Gardens and Moscone Center for up to 20 hours a day. The Tenderloin starts less than a block from the square. What are the safest suburbs of San Francisco? Among the Bay Area departments in the table, Foster City reported the lowest violent crime rate in 2025, 0.68 per 1,000 residents. Smaller towns report lower rates: Hillsborough recorded 0.45 per 1,000 and Mill Valley 0.51 in FBI data. Piedmont, an enclave inside Oakland, recorded 0.84, above Foster City and below San Francisco. Does a low crime rate mean a neighborhood is safe from car break-ins? No. The ranking counts homicide, robbery and aggravated assault. Car break-ins are counted separately: the city recorded 4,026 in 12 months, 29% fewer than the year before. The Mission had the most, 380, and no neighborhood is free of them.